Sand and gas traps for oil wells



Sept 20, 1955 G. F. LE BUS SAND AND GAS VYTRAPS FOR OIL WELLS Filed VMay 23, 1950 IN1/EN TOR. sarye? 5.31.75

wam' 9.!! ffl/filari! and the lower surface of the cap 14a forms a restriction that will permit a given amount of oil at a given pressure to ow therethrough, which will serve as a choke to prevent the well from depleting its entire liquid reserve and gassing, thereby losing the bottom hole pressure.

By having the cap 14a surrounding and protruding downward over the upstanding tube 14, the oil or other liquid is forced to follow a passage as indicated by the arrows, and when the oil or other liquid emerges from the annular space formed between the outer periphery of tube 14 and the inner diameter of cap 14a the sand continues to settle down into the bottom portion of each chamber, whereas the oil will turn upward and flow out through tubing 3.

By the oil owing downward into the lower chamber or reservoir 8 into a relatively large cross sectional area a quiescent state thereof will prevail which will permit the greater portion of the sand to settle, then with the oil or other liquid passing upward through tubes 14 and downward through the annular space formed between the tube 14 and the downturned cap 14a into the large annular space formed by the inner shell 7 the remaining sand will settle out as the oil turns upward, and will be deposited in each of the chambers.

The annular space intermediate tubes and shell members 6 and 7 is of much greater cross sectional area than the combined cross sectional areas of the openings within the tube 10, therefore, the oil or other liquid in which sand is entrained moves upward, after having passed down through the inlet tube 10, which will cause sand or other foreign particles to settle out into this annular space.

It is to be pointed out that a multiplicity of sections 7 may be used to make up the sand and gas trap, and that the oil containing the sand may be passed through several of these sections in order to remove the sand therefrom.

While Fig. 2 of the drawing, shows tubes 14 of the adjacent sections 7 to be in alignment, it is to be pointed out that these tubes may be spaced out of axial alignment so as to cause a zig-zag ow of oil through the chamber as dened by the intermediate tubes 7, to allow the sand to settle out of the oil.

The inlet tube 10 may be shouldered at 15 to interconnect with a section thereabove, as will best be seen in Fig. 2, and rubber gaskets 16 are provided to insure proper sealing of the tube.

It is to be pointed out that wells producing a high proportion of sand to the amount of oil may need from twelve to twenty, or even more of the sections 7 having tubes 10 and 14 therein, and each intermediate section 7 forms a separate and independent sand trap in addition to the reservoir of chamber 12.

While the invention has been described and illustrated in one embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that changes may be made in the minor details of construction, and adaptations made to suit various working conditions without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a sand trap for deep wells, a tubular casing comprising a plurality of shell members connected together, the uppermost of said shell members having a lateral tube therein forming an inlet therethrough, the lowermost of said shell members forming a sand receiving chamber, a bafe clamped between said shell members, said battle having a central tube and a plurality of circumferentially spaced upstanding tubes open at their ends secured thereto for passing liquid therethrough, each of said circumferentially spaced tubes having a cover member attached thereto and spaced from the upper end thereof and forming a passage therebetween for diverting liquid and sand passing therethrough downward so that the sand entrained within said liquid that passes through said inlet opening will settle out as the liquid passes upward through said trap, and said lateral tube forming a connection with the upper end of said central tube so as to direct said liquid and sand into said chamber formed in the lower end of said lowermost shell.

2. In a sand trap for separating solids from liquids in deep wells, a tubular casing comprising a series of shell members threaded together, the uppermost of said shell members having a lateral tube forming an inlet opening therein, the lowermost of said shell members forming a sand receiving chamber, at least one intermediate shell member having a sand receiving chamber formed therein, a bafe clamped near each pair of adjacent ends of said shell members, each of said battles having a central tube and a plurality of circumferentially spaced, upstanding, open end tubes secured therein, each of said circumferentially spaced, upstanding tubes having a cupped member attached to and spaced from the sides and the upper, open end thereof and forming a passage therebetween for diverting said liquid passing therethrough downward so that the sand entrained within said liquid that passes through said inlet opening will settle out as the liquid passes upward through said trap, said lateral tube forming connection with the upper end of said central tube so as to direct said liquid and sand into chambers formed at the lower vend of each of said shell members.

3. In a sand trap for separating solids from liquids in deep wells, a tubular casing comprising at least two shell members threaded together, the upper most of said shell members having a lateral tube forming an inlet opening therein, the lowermost of said shell members forming a sand receiving chamber, a baille clamped near each pair of adjacent ends of said shell members, each of said bales having a central, upstanding tube and a plurality of upstanding, open end tubes secured therein and surrounding said central upstanding tube, each of said upstanding tubes surrounding said central tube having a cupped member attached to and spaced from the sides and the upper open end thereof and forming a passage therebetween for diverting said liquid passing therethrough downward so that the sand entrained within said liquid that passes through said inlet opening will settle out as the liquid passes upward through said trap, said lateral tube forming connection with the upper end of said central tube so as to direct said liquid and sand into a chamber formed at the lower end of said shell members.

4. In a sand trap for deep wells, a tubular casing comprising a threaded tubular top shell member having an open top and a lateral tube forming an inlet opening, a threaded bottom tubular shell member closed at its lower end, a series of intermediate threaded, tubular shell members each having a shoulder internally formeda spaced distance from an end thereof, a series of bailles each having a central hole formed therein and a central, open end, inlet tube registering with the respective central holes and being secured to and upstanding from the respective bafes, the uppermost of said upstanding tubes registering with said lateral tube, a series of upstanding, circumferentially spaced tubular members positioned on said baflies around said central tube and extending upward from said baffles, each of said circumferentially spaced tubes regisl, tering with an opening formed in the respective bales, each of said circumferentially spaced tubes having a cup attachably and adjustably secured thereto at the upper end thereof and spaced from the sides and end of the respective tubes, said tubular shell members being screw threaded together so as to present longitudinally aligned sections, one of said bafes being positioned intermediate the adjacent, longitudinally aligned, tubular shell members so that said circumferentially spaced tubular members will extend upwardly from each of said baffles, said central tubular members below said uppermost tubular member will engage the adjacent central tubular members in end to end relation, resilient packing means tted at the juncture of said central tubes so as to form a seal therebetween so as to form an inlet conduit through said top and intermediate tubular shell members to said bottom tubular shell member for discharging liquids and solids therethrough into said bottom tubular shell member, said circumferentially spaced tubular members interconnecting with the bottom shell member so as to convey said liquid and a portion of said sand upward therethrough with the liquid flowing out through the upper end of said top tubular shell member and a portion of said sand settling on each of said baffles.

5. In a sand trap for deep wells, a series of elongated tube members forming a shell, said shell having an inlet opening and an outlet opening formed therein, an apertured baille clamped intermediate each pair of elongated tubular shell members, each of said baffles having a central tube in register with one of said apertures in said baffie and extending upward therefrom, one end of the uppermost of said central tubes being connected with said inlet opening and the other end of said central tube being in complementary engagement with an adjacent central tube in end to end relation to form a continuous passage through said shell to a point below the lowermost of said balles, a plurality of upstanding tubes on each of said baffles surrounding the respective central tubes, which upstanding tubes have open ends and are in register with apertures in the respective baffles, and a cover secured to and spaced from each of said upstanding tubes.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,431,006 Kelsey Oct. 3, 1922 1,561,049 Bonner et al Nov. 10, 1925 1,655,817 Marsh Jan. 10, 1928 1,673,663 Chancellor et al June 12, 1928 1,742,281 Rundlett Jan. 7, 1930 2,014,827 Williams Sept. 17, 1935 2,205,336 Beach June 8, 1940 

